AMHERST — Taisun Phommachanh dropped back to throw on the first play from scrimmage in the UMass football team’s season opener against New Mexico State on Saturday. Although the Minutemen’s junior quarterback – who was starting his first football game since high school – ultimately tucked the ball to run, the fact that a passing play led off head coach Don Brown’s game script held a deeper meaning than Phommachanh’s four-yard gain.

It meant Brown and the UMass coaching staff found a quarterback they trust, one that can turn the Minutemen offense into a high-octane scoring machine. And according to Brown, Phommachanh’s physical traits (6-foot-4, 215 pounds of pure athleticism) aren’t even his best asset.

“I think that’s his strength, by the way,” Brown said during Monday afternoon’s press conference. “Obviously he’s very athletic, but he’s a smart football player. We’re certainly not gonna run plays that he’s uncomfortable with, or that he’s ill-prepared for. But at the same time, we’re just very comfortable with the way he goes about his business. And he is all business. When you got a guy that’s dedicated and focused on the task at hand, good things happen.”

Those “good things” Brown eluded to are Phommachanh’s 288 total yards and one touchdown that led UMass to its first season-opening win against an FBS opponent since 1984. Junior running back Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams (15 carries, 79 yards, two touchdowns) and junior wide receiver Anthony Simpson (92 total yards, one touchdown) were huge impacts offensively for the Minutemen as well. UMass’ offense scored on four of their five second-half drives and racked up 28 points in the fourth quarter to propel them to a 41-30 road victory over the Aggies.

Offensive coordinator Steve Casula called quick, simple plays that allowed his quarterback to read the defense effortlessly to open the game. Casula also made sure to move the pocket for Phommachanh, giving his legs an escape route almost every play if nothing was open down the field. And while the offense struggled to move the ball on its first few possessions, the Minutemen defense – which included a pass defense that ranked in the top 10 nationwide a season ago – stepped up to stymie New Mexico State.

“We tried to give [Phommachanh] some plays that he’s very comfortable with,” Brown said. “We’re really comfortable with him. Coach Casula has done a good job preparing him, and I thought that bared out. We played complementary football. The first four drives [on defense], we got off the field on all four – with an interception and three punts. That gave our offense a chance to get its feet off the ground. That was kind of a good scenario, because in the second half, offensively, we came up with two really key drives when we needed them the most.”

Over the last two years combined against New Mexico State, UMass has held the Aggies to 3-for-22 on third downs. Three of New Mexico State’s four touchdowns came on plays of 40 yards or more, with the fourth and final one coming in garbage time on the last play of the game. Chunk plays aside, the Minutemen defense was suffocating. UMass forced three turnovers, including a game-changing 55-yard pick six from Isaiah Rutherford, tallied three sacks, and defensive tackle Billy Wooden pounced on a fumble forced by defensive end Zukudo Igwenagu to seal the deal late in the fourth quarter.

“I feel like we had a pretty good plan against them [defensively],” Brown said. “It was just nice to see our football team play complementary football, and we ended up on the right side of the ledger, that’s for sure.”

The biggest difference between the Minutemen of old and the Minutemen of new? According to Brown, simply put, it’s their dedication and preparation.

“This group just gets better every day,” Brown said. “Whether it’s how they handle practice, going to meetings, weight room – just being prepared. Getting ready and preparation for what’s at hand, I don’t expect any different. Just stay focused, take each minute as it comes and continue to play hard.”

Everything seems to be coming together for UMass. It’s still very early in what is a long college football season, but the Minutemen’s strides can’t be ignored. They responded to every punch New Mexico State threw their way and never trailed at any point during the game. There is an obvious buy-in from this year’s roster, and continuity is apparent on every play, something that UMass has certainly lacked over the past several years.

Brown has instilled an unmistakable chemistry and connection in year two. Plain and simple.

“We’re all pretty much intact,” Brown said. “Second year in, guys are a lot more familiar, a lot more comfortable with what we’re trying to get done, and that’s a beautiful thing.”

Next up Saturday is a more challenging road trip to play Auburn before a sold out crowd of nearly 90,000 fans at Jordan-Hare Stadium. That game will also be broadcast nationally on ESPN, with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m.

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